Eight Months After
by fluffybluff
Summary: Kenshin and kaoru meet each other by accident after eight months of losing contacts with each other. KK Read and review, please!


Disclaimer: Standard disclaimer applied

Eight Months After

Jogging was her morning habit. She would get cranky the whole day if she didn't start with a little bit of running and walking around the park before dawn. She loved her share of fresh, cold air in the morning and the beautiful sunrise. She loved being the first customer in the bakery nearby, and she loved eating her warm bread and drinking her tea on the bench in the park while staring at the street, which slowly became noisier. People would start popping out everywhere and in a few minutes, the streets became lively. After that, she would go home, take her time bathing and getting dressed, and she was ready to face any stressful thing her boss made her do at work.

That day, however, she decided to take a detour. There was a new big house with a beautiful garden just down the road, and she really wanted to take a peek. She loved gardens and flowers, and the English garden with a lot of newly planted roses made around a big, white house attracted her when she was passing by a few days ago. She decided to visit the house and just take a quick look to see if the flowers were blooming. She ran on the pavement and turned right, and saw a bus stop. She stopped in front of the bus stop, believing that she saw a familiar someone.

"Oh…" She said.

The guy who was sitting in the bus stop with his newspaper and a small cup of coffee looked up. Both of them looked at each other, not knowing what to say.

"Oh… Hi…" He greeted her with a warm, friendly smile, trying to break the awkwardness.

"Hi… How have you been?" She asked. He chuckled pleasantly.

"I'm good. I see that you've changed your jogging route. How so?"

"Just for today. There's a newly built house with a big English garden I want to see. You know how I love gardens and flowers and such… What about you, waiting for a bus so early in the morning. Sleepover at the girlfriend's house?"

"Sleepover, yeah… No girls, though. Yesterday was supposed to be poker night, remember? Sano kept on bugging me into coming even though I have a meeting in the morning."

Her sapphire eyes gazed at his amethyst eyes. There was a hint of amber dancing there. It would be too beautiful if they just let the desire they tried to hide from each other took control and ran in to each other's arm.

Instead, they smiled knowingly at each other.

"It's been awhile…"

"Yeah, it's been awhile…."

Their memories ran back through time on that day. The day that changed their lives.

*****

"Kaoru, this is yours." Kenshin yanked a piece of wool fabric. Kaoru took the fabric, examined it with a frown on her face, and threw it back to his suitcase.

"No, Kenshin. Sano gave that to you, remember?"

"Sano gave me a pink scarf? And I often see you wear it in the winter, so I thought…"

"You said it yourself, 'it's magenta, not pink'. I wear it because you never wear it, silly." Kaoru kneeled down, folded the magenta scarf and put it nicely inside Kenshin's suitcase.

"Thank you."

It was hard to separate their stuff after living together for more than two years. Kaoru was messy, and Kenshin, even though he cleaned a lot, never really bother to do some major reorganizing. They both were used to the messiness and they never had any hassle because of that. But after awhile, separating their stuff was like separating DNA which intertwined together.

Kenshin took out a small sample bottle of perfume. Kaoru looked at the bottle.

"That's my perfume… I don't remember that I have that small bottle."

"That's because it's mine. I brought it along with me when I go traveling. You know, so that I don't miss you too much." Kenshin said innocently. Kaoru blushed.

"Oh…" She couldn't say anything else. Kenshin looked at the half full mini bottle and inhaled the smell. His eyes went back to trace the fading print of the brand's name. After awhile, he closed his eyes, trying to rid of his hesitation.

"You should keep it, Kaoru." He gave it to her. She nodded and took it without saying anything anymore. Kaoru took Kenshin's big t shirt she used to wear for sleeping before and sighed as she refolded it.

"This is the last one. I haven't finished separating your small stuff because I know there are some stuff in the storage room that I haven't checked as well. I'll send it to Sano's place when I'm done with it."

"I see. Thank you."

They were about to stand up when their eyes stumbled upon a photo album.

"Ah. There it is." They said it together while reaching out for the album. Their hands touched, and they looked at each other. Kaoru pursed her lips and Kenshin breathed. No matter what they tried to do, none of them could turn away and break the gaze. Kaoru looked at him nervously and started to bite her lips. Kenshin frowned and unconsciously touched her lips with his fingers.

"No. That's a bad habit…" He said. Kaoru swallowed and then leaned closer. Kenshin touched her cheek and leaned in for a kiss. A really soft kiss they thought they could never feel anymore. Kenshin sucked her bitten bottom lips gently while slipping his hand between her hair. Kaoru moved closer and sat on his laps, while her two arms clung onto his neck. Kenshin forced his tongue in, and Kaoru moaned quietly between the kisses. Upon hearing the moan, Kenshin opened his eyes in realization. This was not supposed to happen.

"Kaoru… Stop…" He groaned and pushed Kaoru. Kaoru startled.

"Sorry…" She mumbled. Kenshin looked at her sadly.

"I have to go." He stood up. Kaoru grabbed Kenshin's hand.

"I… I thought… We're going to have one last dinner together!" She stammered. Kenshin shook his head.

"No. Sorry. We can't. Apparently we can't do this…" Kenshin's voice trailed off. Kaoru stood up and hugged him.

"You see yourself, Kenshin! We can't be separated! Why should we break up?" She asked with a loud voice.

"Realize it Kaoru! The last five months were not healthy. We are not happy together so we have to try to be happy without each other." Kenshin explained. An explanation he gave a lot of times when they were talking about their state of relationship.

Kenshin stood up and checked the suitcases. He sighed at looked at Kaoru.

"I'll be going now." He said. Kaoru nodded sadly.

"I'll send your small stuff to Sano's place." She told him. Kenshin looked away and shook his head.

"No need to do that anymore. Just… Burn them or something. It's best for us not to see each other anymore." He turned around and left without saying anything anymore. Without looking back anymore.

He could hear the sound of Kaoru fell onto her knees and her quiet sobs echoed in the room. He tried hard not to look back, walked faster and closed the door behind him.

It seemed like he was going to regret his decision that day for the rest of his life.

*****

"You don't stay at Sano's anymore?" asked Kaoru. Kenshin shook his head.

"Nope. I found a nice apartment not far from here about three months ago. I live in Block D now." He answered. Kaoru nodded.

"May I sit?" She asked formally. Kenshin laughed a small laugh.

"Why are you asking? This is a public place, of course you can sit." Kaoru sat beside him. Kenshin gave her his cup of coffee.

"Want some? You look a bit cold." He offered. Kaoru smiled sweetly and took a sip.

"Thank you."

They both sat and stared at the sky. It was always cold in the beginning of spring, but the view was breath taking. The sakura trees were blooming along the street, and the grass had grown into a pale shades of green. Kenshin looked at her.

"How's life?" He asked. Kaoru turned her head from the sakura trees.

"Same old. Work, sleep, hanging out with Megumi and Misao sometimes… What about you?"

"Pretty much the same. Sano stayed over every now and then just to leech off my food." Kenshin said. Kaoru giggled.

"I see… Sano does that a lot doesn't he? Even when we were…" Kaoru's voice trailed off. She looked away and pretended to gaze at the sakura again. Kenshin looked away as well, and took a sip of his coffee.

"It's… okay to… remember, isn't it?" He asked slowly. Kaoru shrugged.

"I guess it's okay to reminisce a little when you're over it."

"When you're over it, huh?" Kenshin muttered and took a deep breath.

PIN. PIN.

Kenshin's bus arrived and stopped in front of them. Slowly the door opened, and the bus driver looked at them questioningly. Kenshin looked at Kaoru and smiled.

"Well, it's time to go. See you around, Kaoru."

"Yeah. Bye…"

Kenshin looked at the bus and stood up. He stood still, as if someone chained his feet and he couldn't move. Kaoru looked at him, and looked at the impatient bus driver. Kenshin was still standing there, staring blankly at the bus.

"Come on, man! Are you coming or not?!" shouted the bus driver.

"Coming…" Kenshin muttered. But he still didn't move.

PIN PIN.

The bus driver honked again, and with a pissed off face closed the door and left. Kenshin looked at the leaving bus and turned around. Kaoru frowned.

"What was that?"

"I missed my bus," he answered dryly. Kaoru looked at him while holding back her smile. She touched Kenshin's hand.

"Are you going to wait for another fifteen minutes for the next bus to arrive, or come to my house and have a breakfast with me? But well, you have your meeting and all, and buses are never late in the morning. So if you want to…" Kenshin shook his head.

"I'm kinda cold. I'll freeze if I have to wait for another fifteen minutes here." He said. Kaoru smiled.

"Then come. I'll prepare you some cereal." She offered. Kenshin nodded.

"Thanks." They smiled meaningfully at each other and Kaoru tugged her hands onto his arm. He smiled softly and patted her small hands.

It was eight months after that agonizing day, and they knew, this time, everything's going to be just fine.


End file.
